Koreatown's Crispiest Donkatsu Hides in an Unassuming LA Strip Mall

Eater

a day ago

The scent of crispy, fried pork wafts through the dining room at My Donkatsu, a family-owned donkatsu shop in Koreatown. Handwritten messages cover the white walls in a myriad of colors, with previous diners praising the umami of the unagi katsu and the melted, gooey texture of the cheese katsu. Tucked away in an unassuming Koreatown strip mall on Olympic Boulevard, sandwiched between a dated travel agency and trinket shops, My Donkatsu makes some of the best tender, crispy donkatsu the neighborhood has to offer.
Mr. and Mrs. Lim (who prefer to only use their surname) opened My Donkatsu in 2024. The couple met in their native South Korea when they were in their early 20s while both working at a five-star hotel in Seoul — Mr. Lim as a chef and Mrs. Lim as a server. 'The hotel was known for being very high-end and having strict standards, says Soli, the daughter of the Lims. 'My dad learned all of his cooking while working there.' Mrs. Lim had a long history in hospitality before opening My Donkatsu — her family owned restaurants in South Korea her whole life. The Lim family moved to America in 2005, but it took some time before they were ready to open their own restaurant.
Cheese katsu. Wonho Frank Lee
'Restaurants are my dad's passion,' Soli says. 'My mom didn't work once we moved to America, but her energy is not the stay-at-home type. She wanted to do something with the family, and that's how it started.' The Lims began to brainstorm, searching for something that felt like it was missing from their Koreatown neighborhood. 'We had been thinking about a katsu place for a long time,' Soli says. Although there are plenty of well-known katsu shops in the neighborhood, like Wako Donkatsu, the Lims still felt like they didn't see the version of the dish they wanted to serve. 'There wasn't one in Koreatown that felt new and special, like a blend between Korean and Japanese-style katsu. We knew we wanted to do something different.' It took almost two years for the Lims to find a space; they didn't want anything too big, with a preference for a more casual, intimate setting.
My Donkatsu currently offers five types of katsu: chicken, pork loin, pork belly, unagi, and cheese. Each order of katsu comes with salad, pickled cucumbers, seasoned greens, soup, rice, and two house-made dipping sauces. The chicken and pork loin are accompanied by a tangy brown sauce made with beef and vegetable gravy and an orange-hued spicy mayonnaise, while the unagi comes with a special eel sauce. The pork belly and cheese katsu are served with a salsa verde-inspired green sauce that has a mild kick to cut through the richness of the cheese and meat. 'The all-time most popular items are the classic pork and cheese katsu,' Soli says. 'The most popular katsu at the moment is the pork belly. When we first opened, it was the chicken. Some days, we fully sell out of the unagi.'
My Donkatsu specializes in a blend of Korean and Japanese-style katsu. Japanese tonkatsu, rooted in French influence during the Meiji Period between 1868 and 1912, is traditionally prepared with a thicker cut of meat, coated in a thick layer of breadcrumbs; a soy-tinged dark brown sauce comes on the side for dipping. The dish is based on côtelette de veau, a breaded and fried piece of veal. Korean katsu, often spelled donkatsu, arrived in the country while it was under Japanese occupation in the 1930s. At first, it was seen as a luxury due to the high price of pork in the post-war era, but it slowly became more accessible to the general population in the 1970s. During the '80s, donkatsu exploded in popularity in South Korea, served Western-style with a fork and knife. In contrast to the Japanese tonkatsu, donkatsu is often pounded thinner and served slathered in sauce that is slightly sweeter than the Japanese version. At My Donkatsu, the two styles are fused. The chicken and pork katsu are cut thick, akin to the traditional Japanese style, but the sauce is a blend of both and has a consistency that can be used for dipping or poured on top.
The Lims find little ways to distinguish their katsu from other shops in the area, such as a batter blend that includes fresh breadcrumbs to make the crust lighter and airier, while also adhering to the filling better. 'We looked into ways of minimizing that separation so every bite has the perfect ratio of meat to crust,' Soli says. The resulting breading is sturdy enough to stand up to the thicker cuts of meat, while still offering the sought-after craggly edges. My Donkatsu uses organic chicken breast for the chicken katsu, rather than the more commonly used chicken thighs. The Lims prefer the cut both for the texture and the assurance that the meat is hormone-free.
Spread of dishes at My Donkatsu. Wonho Frank Lee
The Lims also tested multiple brands of cheese before landing on the mozzarella and the technique they currently use for the cheese katsu. 'Our cheese katsu is not a typical cheese katsu — the kind that has a bit of mozzarella torched on top. Ours is wrapped with meat, so the cheese is kept inside without reducing the crunch of the crust,' Soli says. Mr. Lim sources the pork used at My Donkatsu himself, spending his mornings visiting different butchers in Koreatown to find the best cuts.
Alongside the katsu, My Donkatsu also serves Korean comfort dishes like flame-torched bulgogi, udon, and bibimbap. 'Udon lovers consistently compliment our udon, stating that they can tell the flavor comes from the ingredients themselves, which is true,' Soli says.
Exterior of My Donkatsu. Wonho Frank Lee
Dining room at My Donkatsu.
My Donkatsu only has a handful of tables to dine at and a smattering of banquet-hall-style chairs, but Soli says it's plenty of seating.'Customers eat really fast,' she says. 'Our average customer finishes in around 20 minutes.' With katsu, it's not only preferable to eat it while it's still piping hot — it's necessary in order to experience the golden, crispy crust. While the place might look deceptively empty due to the fast turnover, it quickly becomes clear just how busy they are with a passing glance at Mrs. Lim scurrying back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen as she prepares each plate and waits on tables.
Although the entire family is involved with My Donkatsu, Soli credits her mom with being the heart of the business. 'My mom consistently puts in 12-hour days,' she says. 'She shows up at 9 a.m. to prepare everything and stays until 9:30 p.m. when she locks up for the night.' While the restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday, Mrs. Lim can often be found there on Mondays, receiving deliveries and tidying up the space for the week ahead. 'She treats every customer like her daughter or son. It's a very Korean mom kind of place,' says Soli.
My Donkatsu is located at 3003 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90006 and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and until 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Bibimbap. Wonho Frank Lee
Bulgogi.
Shrimp veggie pancake. Wonho Frank Lee
Tornado shrimp. Wonho Frank Lee
Pork gyoza.
Unagi katsu. Wonho Frank Lee
Cheese katsu. Wonho Frank Lee
Messages from diners on the wall. Wonho Frank Lee
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